WSO2s DIY cloud Stratos welcomed into Apache Incubator

Days after releasing the latest version, WSO2 send their cloud platform to Apache in hope of generating a community behind the project. Engine Yard and Citrix jump onboard.

Swiftly after releasing the new architecture behind
their cloud platform, WSO2 have pushed Stratos to the Apache
Incubator.

The polyglot PaaS framework, which got a bumper
2.0 releaselast Thursday, provides the raw components
for developers to build their own cloud platform. The donation
allows WSO2 to provide commercial support of the project and still
retain a level of creative control, with the majority of the
committer team formed from Stratos Core developers.

The main intention with the move is to open the
platform up to external contributors. Developers from Cisco, SUSE
and even NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory have already professed an
interest in the project, appearing on the initial committer list.
Intriguingly though, fellow cloud companies are signing up, with
Citrix and Engine Yard also present on the list.

In 2012, Citrix handed off IaaS project
CloudStack to the same foundation. Perhaps their backing suggests
they are about to wade into the PaaS space? For Engine Yard, their
interest could indicate intent to expand. Their experience with
multi-tenancy and polyglot environments should prove invaluable to
a cloud platform making its first steps however.

Stratos is comprised of four main layers. The
newly added cartridge-based architecture at the top allows
developers to pick and choose between frameworks and systems. So
far, WSO2 have added cartridges for languages (Java and PHP),
databases such as MySQL and servers (Tomcat and Jetty).

Underpinning the entire operation is a
IaaS-agnostic layer based on fellow Apache Incubator project
jclouds, the portable cloud library that can switch between
infrastructures. Stratos also contains a controller that automates
and monitors IaaS runtimes, as well as deploying workloads. Another
layer provides essential cloud services such as security, logging
and storage.

WSO2 will continue to offer commercial support
packages for Stratos, including the public PaaS based on the
technology, StratosLive. These products will be rebranded to avoid
confusion with the Apache-led vehicle.

The move across to a neutral foundation makes sense for a
‘make your own cloud’ project that wants to collaborate with
various communities. While Stratos has always been open source,
being housed under the Apache Foundation should give it a touch
more visibility. WSO2 have realised that for a cloud platform to
get recognition then the door needs to be opened further to outside
influence.